Latakia Governorate

Latakia Governorate is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria, located along the Mediterranean Sea coast and on the border with Turkey. Latakia is the capital of the governorate, which has a population of 991,000 people, with half of them adhering to the Shia Alawite sect of Islam. In the capital city, 50% were Alawite, 30% Sunni, and 20% Christian in 2010 before the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, which led to many Christians becoming refugees. The governorate, along with Tartus Governorate, were key government bases due to their large Alawite populations, and the Syrian Opposition's offensives in Latakia were constantly pushed back.